Cloud Computing: Google+ Hangouts: How People Are Using Group Video Conferencing

Daria Musk

Google+ has been around for roughly two months now, and one of the social network's popular features out of the gate has been Hangouts, the group video conferencing application that lets users host video chats with up to 10 users at the same time. Some of the roughly 30 million Google+ users have treated Hangouts as more than just a group meeting application for friends, enabled by Google's voice and video plug-in and the Webcam on their laptops. Some users have chosen to use Hangouts as a more significant broadcast medium. These users have performed songs they wrote, hosted cooking shows, all in front of small, live Web audiences. This is more than just a showcase for Google+ and how its users are leveraging the social network that seeks to challenge Facebook's throne. This is a lesson in how group Web meetings are becoming more of a rule than an exception online, creating a boon for messaging and collaboration. Moreover, this service could get more interesting now that Google has linked Hangouts to YouTube, enabling users to click to initiate Hangouts right from the video-sharing Website. Here is a list of some of the ways Google+ users are using Hangouts to reach users.